Key action for typewriter and other machines



KEY ACTION FOR TYPEWRITER AND OTHER MACHINES Filed March 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iL/ P v 6 271 27 Q 22 id, 1

25 A 5: 21 27 2.5 P jar 2 28 v /2 151 filllllll IIIIIIII July 0,1929. Qu. DESHA 722,955

KEY ACTION FOR TYPEWRITER AND OTHER MACHINES Filed March 24, 1927 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 30, 1929.

warren s'ra'rrs U. DI1SHA, OF COLLINS, COLGRADG, ASSIGEOR 0F QNE-EIFTH TO THE nnsnn TYIPELEX reuse seamen, or some COLLINS, COLORADO.

KEY ACTION FOR TYPEVTEITER AND OTHER MACHINES.

Application filed March 24, 1827'.

My invention relates to an improvement in key action for typewriters and other type bar and key-operating machines, actuating means all times operatively connecting the type bar and key lever moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever and means reversely breaking the said connection after the printing impact of the type bar for the return of the type bar to its normal position while the key lever in depressed position; this broad object being the subject matter of an application filed by me on November 5th, 1923, Serial No. (572,871, upon which Patent 1,643,208 issued Septen ber 20, 1927, as a contradis inction between previous devices comprising); a detachable connection or cap at some point between the key lever and type bar after the latter has been given the movement necessary to effect the printing and before the ke lever has completed its movement.

The specific object of the present invention is to provide improved means of the character specified above whereby the reversely breaking actuating connection between the key lever and the type bar is in the nature of a novel operative structure that may readily be incorporated in certain typewri'ting machines with only slight modification of the structural features of said machines as they now exist.

I have shown my invention embodied, in the present instance, in a typewriter similar to the Underwood standard machine, and

which the invention may be readily incorpo rated bv ht modification of the striurtiual features of he parts involved in otlecting such incorporation. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not restrictec to use in a machine of this t pe but may be employed wherver found available.

lhe desired principle of operation, new mechanical functions, operative expcdients, and other objects and advantages will hereinafter be described in the following); disclosure and will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. In the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the various views.

In the drawing, Figure I, is a vertical seetionof a typewriting machine. one key-action only being shown in normal position; Fig. 11 represents a view of the keyonechanism simila to Fifill the key lever being shown depressed and responding the type bar, F

. lea so Serial No. 178,085.

111 is also a key-mechanism similar to Fig. I,

key lever being shown in a depressed posltion and the type bar returned to its normal position. Fig. IV is a skeleton view of the key-mechanism for illustrative purpose in describing the mode of operation of the machine shown. It is understood, of course, that for the sake of clearness and to avoid complication of drawings the applicant has omitted to show the rcn'iainder of the key levers and type bars of a complete key board as well as other devices necessary or advis able in a complete machine.

In the embodiment in Fig. I, 1 indicates the frame of a typewriter, 1 indicating the front and 1" the rear, having a common powerdrivcn paper carriage 2 supported in the rear on guide rod 3 and in front on guide rod 5 indicates the common platen carried by rue paper carriage 2; 6 indicates one of the usual ty 3e bars carrying the type 7 at its front end, and having the usual slot 8 at the heel of the rear end, and is arranged to turn on pivot 9 in the form of a segment disposed vertically below the front face of the plate 1-0 thereb providing the type 7 with a common printing point A as the type bar turns on pivot 9 from normal horizontal position of rest on the segment 11.

indicates one of the key levers i ing at the front end finger key 13 the rear end pivoted at 1d to bar 11 I, in the roar of the machine, and is ke jit uorma i its elevated position by sp: n." 15 supported by bar. 15, at normal rest th key lever 12 bearing, against the underside of bar 20. Key lever 12 is formed with an upward appending arm 18, and arranged to provide a saddleoacked seat 17 1n front of said arm 1 the coupling hereinafter described.

The key lever 12 is described as having two incidents of operation, namely; the licident of depression and the incident of lease. he incident of depression is disclosed by the movement of the key lever 12 from radius B to radius C, and the incident of redisclosed by the movement of the key lever 12 back from radius C to radius B. The type bar 6 is described as having two incidents of operation, namely; the incident of response and the incident of recoil. The in cident of response of. the type bar 6 is disclosed'by the movement of the type bar from its initial rest radius E- to printing point A, indicated by radius F, forming are from.

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pivot 9. The incident of recoil of type bar 6 is disclosed by its movement from the prmt ing point A back to normal rest E. These incidents of operation are, of course, present in type bars of nonreversely breaking action in so far as the incident of response to A. of the t pe bar (5 already known to the art occurs simultaneously with the incident of release, C to B, of the key lever, but, the novelty of my invention relates to the correlation of incidents of operation of the key lever with that of the type bar in providing the operative expedient by which both tlie incident of response E to A, of the type bar and the incident of recoil, A to E, occur during the one incident of depression, B t C, of the key lever. This operative expedientis accomplished, in this case, by an improved reversely breaking actuating coupling being the principal subject matter of this application, and comprising the parts connecting the key lever with tl e type bar, hereinafter described.

18 indicates one of a series of vibratory levers, corresponding in number with the type bars 6 and key levers 12. lChe vibratory levers 18 are pivoted at 19 in a bar 20 extending across the machine above the key le*-.*ers 21, and at its upper end each-is provided with a pin 21 which engages the cam slot 8 in the heel of the rear end of type bar 6.

The type bar action devised by the applicant includes the revcrsely breaking actuating coupling comprising the forward thrust link 22 and the forward draw link 23, link 22 being connected intermediately of its ends at pivot to the rearwardly projecting arm 18 of the vibratory lever 18, and link connected at pivot 26 to the upward appending arm 15 of the key lever 2; the coupli and 23 vibrates the vibratory lever 18 forward and moves the type bar 6 to the printing point A upon depression the key lever 12, and the action includes means hereinafter described for breaking revcrsely the said coupling after the printing impact of the type bar for the return of the type bar to normal position while the key lever is held d pressed.

The relative normal positions of pivots 2 1. 25 and 26 are engaged in a line J J Fig. 1V approximately upward in the rear and d wuward in front relative to key lever 12, disclosing the coupling to be reclining as distinguished from being engaged horizontally or perpendicular to the key lever.

. It will be observed that the forward draw link 22 and forward thrust link 23 constituting the revcrscly breaking actuating coupling operate in a plane above the k y lever, disclosed the crmplingto be over-slung. Also, it will be noted that the forward draw link 22 and forward thrust link 23 operate in front of the vibratory lever which disclosed tile coupling to be forwardly engaged.

27 is a return spring engaging a hole 2'? provided by the rear end of the forward draw link 22 and the other end is supported by bar 27 which spring serves to turn link 22 on pivot 25 and to hold the vibratory lever 18 normally in operative position as shown in l i g. l, and to return it and the type bar 6 to normal position E after operation.

28 is an extending nose of the forward draw link 22 and is designated as a fulcrum trip nose, pivot 2% being the fulcrum point about which the link 22 turns in cooperating with the saddle-backed seat 17 on top of key lever 12 in lifting link 22 out of said seat 17 and cooperating with stop rod 29 thereby restoring said coupling to normal operative position upon release of key lever 12.

The new mechanical movements and on. tion thereof are the important factors of the invention in providing the novel function of the key action. A further description of the operative principles, therefore, follows: The geometric circle H H, Fig. IV, with a dian'ietrical line J J from the forward border pivots 2a to the backward border pivot 25 cireumscribes what is termed the actuating plane. The diametrical line J J of actuating plane, rem the forward border pivot 2% to the backward border pivot 25 indicates the divert tension line and divides the actuating plane into the upper Zone of response K and lower Zone of reaction L; the upper zone of response 1; having to do with the response of the type bar 6 from radius E to radius F as the key lever 12 is being depressed from radius B to radius D;

" to ly and the lower Zone of lGElCtlOZl L having do with the means for breaking reverse said coupling returning the type bar 6 from printing point A to radius E at rest as he keyrlevcr 12 is being continually depressed from radius D to radius C of depression. The normal or idle position of the forward draw link 22 operates in the upper zone of response K as l nown e Figs. 1 and it necessary that links 22 and 2-3 be relatively major and minor in length, and link 22 be in such form (in this case cuivifor kl l engaged in hingefold relation so as to permit the pivotal point 26 to oscillate between (its 24% and 25 in crossing and recrossin 'ert tension line J J. Link 22, therefore, is designated as the long link of the coupling, ant is the short link. In this case, the elements 22 and 23 of the coupling are folded during the incident of depression from radius B to radius D of key lever 12 simultane ously with the incident of response of type bar 6 from radius E to printing point A: and the hinge-fold elements 22 and 23 unfold during the remainder of depression. radius D to radius C of the key lever 12 simultaneously with recoil of the type bar 6 from printing point A back to radius E.

The saddle-backed seat 1? provided by the key lever 12 stops pivotal point 24 and effects responsive tension of link 23 under influence of return spring 27 as the key lever is being depressed from radius B to radius D. The tension lock of link 23 is also described as contractive tension lock meaning that while the key lever 12 is being depressed, the energy required to respond the type bar (5 effects contractive pressure or forward. thrust from pivot 26 to pivot 2% instead of expansive tension or pull. The contractive tension of link 23 stops its oscillation and it moves bodily downward with the key lever 12, as shown in Fig. ll, until pivot 26 crosses the divert tension line J J into the lower Zone of reaction L. Simultaneously with contract-ive tension lock of link 23, link 22 operates under expansive tension or forward pull between the forward border-pivots 2% and the backward border pivot 25 while the key lever is being depressed from radius B to radius D to respond the type bar 6 from radius E to printing point A, and the (3X- pansive tension of link 22 being relaxed while the key lever continues the incident of repression from radius D to radius C and simultaneously with the recoil of the type bar 6 from the printing point- A back to radius of rest E.

The correlative operation of links 22 and 23 by the three pivots 24-, 25 and 26 breaks reversely the said coupling after the printing impact of-the type bar 6 returning it to normal position E while the key lever 12 is held depressed in the foil inai r: A change in relative positions of the border pivots 24 and 25 brings the interior pivot 26 down within, the lower zone of reaction L thereby releasing the contractiv tension lock of link 23. The release of contractiv tension lock of link 23 permits i to resume oscillation about the time the type 7 impacts the printing point A. .Vhen link 23 resumes oscillation therebeing no further obstruction to the recoil of the type bar 6 it immediately recoils from A to E while the key lever 12 continues its incident of depression from D to C and contacting with stop bar 15.

It should be understood that the present improvement is capable of a large range of modification within the scope of the invention, and variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the mprovement n'iav be used wi out others.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a typewriting ma ie, type bar, a key lever pivoted. at its 1 end, a vibratory lever pivoted at its-lower end, a roarwardly ading arm provided by said vibratory i, means operatively connecting the upper end of the vibratory lever with the type a reversclv breaking actuating coupling comprising a forward draw link and forward thrust link forwardly disposed in a plane above the key lever operatively connecting the vibratory lever arm and key lever actuating the vibratory iever for-war lly for moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after the printing impact to return the type to normal position while the key lever is in depressed posit'en means restoring said coupling to i urinal operative position upon r of the key 2. In a type key action, a type bar. a key lever pivoted at its rear end, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a vibratory lever pivoted at lower end, a reverscly breaking actuating coupling forwardly disposed across the vibratory lever in a plane above the key lever operatively connecting the vibratory lever and key lever, the elements of said coupling operatively folded moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means unfolding said elements reversely breaking said coupling after printing im pact of the type bar, returning the type bar to normal position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring the unfolded elements of said coupling to normal operative foldment upon the release of the key lever.

3, in a typewriting machine, a type bar, a ke lever pivoted at i s rear end, means opcra= velv connecting the type bar and key lever cor sing a vibratory lever pivoted at its lou end and disposed, vertically an d vibrating forwardly, a rcarwardly extending arm provided by the vibratory lever intermediatcly the ends of the latter, a reversely breaking actuating coupling comprising a forward draw link operatively connecting the rearwardly extending arm and a forward thrust link operatively connecting the key lever and said draw link for actuating the vibratory lever forwardly moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, s reverscly breaking said coupli after '1 ct of the t I, l ll rot, Je bar LO normal position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restor ingsaid couplin to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

e. In a type key action, a type bar, a key lever pivoted at its rear end, a vibratory lever pivoted at its lower end, means operatively connecting the upper end of the vibratory lever with the type bar, a rez-irwardly extending arm provided by the vibratory lever intermediately of the ends of the la. er, a reversely breaking actuating coupling comprising a forward draw link pivotally int iinediately of its ends to the rearwardly extending vibratory lever arm, a forward thrust linkthe forward end thereof operatively connectin the forward end. draw li s end of said thrust lin operatively connect the key lever for actuating said arm and viblx of said tory lever forwardly moving the type bar to printing pointupon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after printing impact of the type bar, for returning the type bar to normal position while key lover isin depressed position, means restoring saiu coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

5. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a key lever pivoted at its rear end, a vibratory lever pivoted at its lower end, means operatively connecting the vibratory lever and type bar, a rearwardly extending arm provided by said vibratory lever intermediately the ends of the latter, a reversely breaking actuating coupling comprising a forward draw link and a forward thrust link operatively connecting the key lever and vibratory lever arm, said coupling actuating forward thrust for moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after printing impact of the type bar for returning the type bar to normal position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

6. In a type key action and mechanism, a type bar, a key lever pivoted at its rear end, a vibratory lever pivoted at its lower end, a rearwardly extending arm provided by said vibratory lever intermediately the ends of the latter and providing an upward appending arm intermediately of its ends, a reversely breakin 'actuating coupling comprising a forward draw link operatively connecting the vibratory lever arm for actuating the vibratory lever forwardly and a forward thrust link pivotally connecting to said upward appending arm of the key lever and front end thereof pivoted to the forward end of said draw link actuating the vibratory arm forwardly for moving the type bar to the printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after printing impact of the type bar returning the latter to normal position while key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

7. In a type-key action and mechanism, a type bar, a key lever providing an upward appending arm intermediately of its ends, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a vibratory lever pivoted at its lower end, areversely breaking actuating coupling operatively connecting the key lever and vibratory lever comprising a forward thrust link and a forward draw link moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, a saddle-backed seat provided by said key lever in front of said upward appending arm, a fulcrum trip nose provided by tile front endof said forward .draw link extending forwardly and communicating with the saddle-backed seat reversely breaking said coupling after printing impact of the type bar for returning the latter to normal position while the key lever is in depressed. position, means restoring said fulcrum trip nose to normal operative position on said saddle-backed seat upon release of the key lever. V

8. In a mechanism and action for a typekey, a type bar, a key lever pivoted at its rear end, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a vibratory lever pivoted at its lower end, a reversely breaking actuating coupling operatively connecting the key lever and vibratory lever comprising a forward draw link and a forward thrust link moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after the printing impact of the type bar, a return spring horizontally disposed above the key lever and its front end supported by the rear end of the backward draw link, a cross bar in rear of the machine supporting the rear end of said return spring-'the contraction of said spring returning the type bar to normal position while key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said mechanism to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

9. In a typewriting machine, a type bar, a key lever pivoted at its rear end, a vibratory lever pivoted at its lower end and its upper end operatively'connecting the type bar, an arm integral with said vibratory lever extending rearwardly intermediately the ends of the latter, a reversely breaking actuating coupling comprising a forward draw link and a forward thrust link operatively connecting the key lever and vibratory lever arm for actuating the vibratory lever forwardly moving the type bar to printing. point upon depression of the key lever, means reversely breaking said coupling after printing impact of the type bar to return the type bar to normal position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restoring said coupling to normal operative position upon release of the key lever.

10. In a type-key action and mechanism, a type bar, a key lever pivoted at its rear end, means operatively connecting the type bar and key lever comprising a vibratory lever pivoted at its lower end, a reversely breaking actuating coupling operatively connecting the key lever and vibratory lever comprising a forward draw link and a forward thrust link, a backward border pivot connecting the vibratory lever and draw link intermediately of their respective ends, a forward border pivot connecting the draw link and thrust link, an interior pivot above a line drawn through the border pivots for connecting the thrust link and key lever moving the type bar to printing point upon depression of the key lever, means actuating the interior pivot downward across ing said coupling to normal operative posia divert tension line between the forward tion upon release of the key lever. border pivot and the backward border pivot Signed at Fort Collins, in the county of 10 reversely breaking said coupling after print- Larimer and State of Colorado, this 11th day 5 ing impact of the type bar for returning the of April, A. D. 1927.

type bar to normal position while the key lever is in depressed position, means restor- ORVILLE U. DESHA. 

